Lone Survivors

XIX (When The Truth Becomes Your Demon)

The Trinity of Terror Tour gained a semblance of normalcy at long last.

The Slayer had gone quiet, the gift of Paul's bones must have silenced him or maybe it angered him so much he was plotting his revenge. Spencer had no memory of the night the demon inside of him killed Paul. The last thing he remembered, seeing Chris and I at the bar. Chris went radio silent, in a way I understood. He wanted to keep me safe and I was still trying to come to grips with someone besides Spencer having feelings for me.

The tour took us to the Windy City, Caroline had been stationed here at the recruitment office. Her C.O. dubbed it punishment for holding a future senator at gunpoint. For nostalgia's sake I drove past our little house on the way feeling a tear slide down my face. Amias reached over squeezing my hand. This city was his home before his parents separated.

"They've been too quiet." He whispered to me while we set up. The other refused to help choosing to wait by the SUV until it was time to sell merch. It made me miss Nadine and Kambria more and more.

"We're at a stalemate." I glanced up from my book. "There are only three of us left, well four if you count Spencer."

"Can we really count him, Cap?" He asked. "He made his own deal with the Devil."

"His soul isn't down in Hell, it's one of the conditions of his deal. He says its with someone he cares about." I set my bookmark into my book.

"I doubt the phrasing matters, a deal is a deal. With a demon it means Hell's got him." He sighed heavily. "I'll be honest Cap, I don't like our odds."

I chewed on my bottom lip, silently agreeing with him. The only thing keeping me from giving in to the voices in my head was Spencer. Amias told me the story of how the Slayer took his family. He'd been spared the heartbreak of having to see his mother being killed, it had been his dad's weekend. When the Slayer came for his father Amias hid in the closet burrowed underneath a mound of clothing. A smart, yet risky tactic that ended up saving him.

"Kaitie, how's it going?"

"Richard." My voice went cold, my eyes narrowed slightly at Ricky. Amias gave me the head's up to Ricky's arrival by tugging on one of his dreads. I'd been actively avoiding Ricky after he all but kicked me out of the Motionless in White tour bus. He ran a hand through his hair putting on an apologetic smile.

"I suppose I deserve the cold shoulder after the way I acted when you came to see Chris." He began.

"If you ask me, she deserves more than just an apology." Amias muttered moving down the line to make sure the merch was fully visible.

"He doesn't seem to like me very much."

"We're two people doing the work of six, you're lucky he even bothered with pleasantries." I set my book in my bag. "I don't mean to come across as bitchy, but what are you doing here?"

"Chris asked me to come get you." He smiled his gaze saying he knew all about Chris coming to Swampscott with me.

"Why couldn't he come over himself?" Amias raised an eyebrow.

"He asked me and I needed to stretch my legs. Come with me, he's got a surprise for you." He concealed the frustration in his voice well enough. I glanced back at Amias seeing him nod once.

"Don't be gone too long."

"I won't." I walked around the table following Ricky in the direction of the dress.

"Amias seemed awfully reluctant to let you leave the merch tables." Ricky glanced back at me.

"I wouldn't take it personally. My crew hasn't been cooperating with us lately. It's like the invasion of the body snatchers, their personalities did a complete one eighty." I shrugged it off.